The big project for this weekend was painting and wallpapering the vestibule (or “the vegetable”, as we prefer to call it) at the front of the house. What I thought would be a half-day affair wound up taking 2 1/2 days, and the detail work still has to be done. I had never wallpapered before, but with the help of my mother, I think I got the hang (hee, punny!) of it pretty quickly.
I can’t find a before shot at the moment, but when we bought the house, this little 4×5′ space was an atrocity! The beadboard wainscoting, doors and moldings had all been painted with a rubbery, forest-green paint (putting the word “forest” in there might make it sound somewhat appealing, but don’t be fooled!), and the upper portion of the crumbling walls had been covered with dark chipboard paneling…and graffiti.
The result of our makeover is really refreshing: the woodwork has all been painted the same color as in the rest of the house (Benjamin Moore Simply White, satin finish), and the upper walls have been replastered and wallpapered with Orla Kiely’s Flower Blossom paper.
I can’t wait to come home tonight and see that wallpaper peeking out through the triangular panes in the front door! Ahhh.
9 Comments
Wow that looks good! Especially for a first time paper project ! You are brave.
I love the paper you chose — fresh and modern but not jarring at all with your traditional house. I have been racking my brains trying to think of where we could use wallpaper in our house!
Jaimie, have you thought about wallpapering the inside of a closet? I that’s where I’m going to use the paper that’s left over from the vestibule. The hardest part is the first piece (especially if you have an old house with lots of moldings and uneven corners) — after that, it’s just time and glue!
That looks so amazing compared to what it looked like before! So bright and clean! Great job!
Anna – that’s a cute idea and one that I hadn’t thought of. We’re starting to think about a nursery for a future child and a quirky wallpaper there would be a nice little detail.
By the way, you are smart to document your progress along the way! We’ve been trying to do that with our own renovation projects. It’s satisfying to see how far you’ve come.
Love, love love that wallpaper.
That looks absolutely amazing,so beautiful.Actually doing the wallpapering scares me,i just know i’d stuff it up.
The orla kiely vestibule looks amazing! Is there any chance that you have leftover wallpaper that you’d like to sell? I’m needing about 6 to 8 yards, but could work with even less… so sad that it’s sold out.
sarah: Unfortunately I don’t think I would have enough for you. I’m sorry!